Best Waterfalls Near Manchester
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best waterfalls near Manchester are Pingot Quarry Waterfall, Wessenden Head, Waulkmill Waterfall, Kinder Downfall, Roddlesworth Waterfall, Folly Dolly Falls, Hatch Brook Waterfall and Lumb Hole Falls.
Manchester sits ringed by high ground, and some of the finest waterfalls in the North lie a short drive out from the city centre. Head northeast onto the Pennine edge above Oldham and you reach Pingot Quarry Waterfall on Crompton Moor.
Swing east into West Yorkshire for Wessenden Head above Marsden and Folly Dolly Falls near Meltham, both at the fringe of the Peak District. To the southeast, the moors climb toward Kinder Downfall on Kinder Scout, with Waulkmill Waterfall closer in at Bollington in Cheshire.
North and northwest, the Lancashire hills hold Roddlesworth Waterfall below Blackburn and Hatch Brook near Chorley, while further north the Calderdale valleys shelter Lumb Hole Falls above Hebden Bridge. These are cascades of moorland streams, quarry faces and wooded cloughs, each rewarding a walk out from the road.
Some roar after rain and dwindle in dry spells, so pick your day. Here are eight waterfalls to seek out near Manchester.
Pingot Quarry Waterfall
Photo: Bill Boaden via Geograph.org.uk
Pingot Quarry Waterfall Tucked into a disused sandstone quarry on Crompton Moor, above Shaw near Oldham, this fall marks the Pennine edge of Greater Manchester. A moorland stream pours over the cut quarry face into the old workings, an informal beauty spot on open-access moor.
Photographers come for it after heavy rain or when a hard winter locks it in ice. Quarrying finished here back in the 1970s, and the ground has since returned to rough moorland with wide views, laced by walking trails.
Bring sturdy boots, because there are no facilities and the going underfoot can be boggy and uneven.
Wessenden Head
Photo: George Tod via Geograph.org.uk
Wessenden Head Wessenden Head is the moorland top of the Wessenden valley, sitting on the A635 above Marsden in West Yorkshire, right at the edge of the Peak District. It makes a well-used start for walks, with a track dropping down the valley past a chain of four reservoirs toward Marsden, while the Pennine Way runs along the tops.
The small waterfall you are after lies on the brook below the reservoirs, a quiet feature to pause at along the way. All of this ground forms part of the National Trust's Marsden Moor estate, so it is cared for as open, walkable country.
Waulkmill Waterfall
Photo: Hal Westhead via Geograph.org.uk
Waulkmill Waterfall On the River Dean in Ingersley Vale, at the northeastern edge of Bollington in Cheshire, this small fall sits below Kerridge Hill where the land meets the Peak District. It is part natural and part industrial, a genuine fall with a mill weir built across the top, once feeding the textile mill at Ingersley Clough.
Woodland of beech, oak and sycamore closes it in, and you reach it on a circular walk of a few miles out of Bollington. Come in spring and the ground fills with bluebells and red campion, softening the old workaday setting into something quietly lovely.
Kinder Downfall
Photo: John Bennett via Geograph.org.uk
Kinder Downfall This one is a proper drive up into the hills, out onto the Kinder Scout plateau in the Peak District, and it rewards the effort as the tallest waterfall in the region. Here the River Kinder pitches around thirty metres over the plateau edge.
When a strong west wind gets under it, the falling water is flung back up and over the top in a plume of spray that can carry for miles. The flow swings from a summer trickle to a torrent after rain, and in a hard winter it freezes solid enough for ice climbing.
The Pennine Way fords the river just above the lip.
Roddlesworth Waterfall
Photo: Mr T via Geograph.org.uk
Roddlesworth Waterfall For this one point the car north into the Lancashire hills south of Blackburn, where the River Roddlesworth threads the Roddlesworth and Tockholes plantation, a mixed woodland laid out around a chain of reservoirs. A short walk from the road along riverside and woodland paths brings you to the cascade, which shifts from a thin trickle in dry weather to a genuine roar after rain.
The wider wood, with the ruins of an old house standing among the trees, is a well-loved spot for family strolls and dog-walking. There are no facilities at the fall itself, so it stays pleasantly low-key.
Folly Dolly Falls
Photo: habiloid via Geograph.org.uk
Folly Dolly Falls East again into West Yorkshire, and a drive out to Meltham brings you within half a mile of Folly Dolly Falls, tucked beside the old railway path now called the Meltham Greenway. The water tumbles down a sandstone fault, spilling over joints and ledges where softer shale gives way to harder rock, the stone stained red by iron running through the fault.
It sits on private ground, reached by a set of steep steps and a short scramble up the stream. Trees have closed in over the years, so the fall is now hidden away from the old railway line that once passed by.
Hatch Brook Waterfall
Photo: Alan Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Hatch Brook Waterfall Out in the West Pennine Moors near Chorley, above the village of Brinscall, Hatch Brook slips down a wooded ravine to make this quiet little fall. It is a proper drive into the Lancashire hills, and then a bit of work on foot once you arrive.
The flow changes hugely with the weather, a decent cascade after rain and barely a trickle in a dry spell. Reaching it is awkward: you either look down on it from the track above or take a steep scramble to the base.
Little written about, it stays one of the hidden corners of the Brinscall woods.
Lumb Hole Falls
Photo: Humphrey Bolton via Geograph.org.uk
Lumb Hole Falls The longest run out, this one, north of Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, where Crimsworth Dean Beck drops into a plunge pool deep among the trees. A stone arched packhorse bridge spans the beck just above the fall, giving the classic view of the place.
The pool draws wild swimmers, though the surrounding land is private and access has at times been restricted. Reaching the water means a scramble down, or you can simply admire it from above.
Bluebells and wild garlic scent the woods in spring, and the walk in follows lanes and paths from Hebden Bridge or nearby Hardcastle Crags.
FAQs
Which waterfall near Manchester is the tallest?
Kinder Downfall, out on the Kinder Scout plateau in the Peak District, is the tallest in the region, dropping about thirty metres. It is a solid drive and a hill walk from Manchester, but well worth it.
When is the best time to see these falls?
After heavy rain is ideal, since streams like Hatch Brook near Chorley and Roddlesworth near Blackburn can drop to a trickle in dry spells. Hard winter freezes also turn several into striking ice, especially Pingot Quarry above Oldham.
Are any of the waterfalls easy to reach from Manchester?
Waulkmill at Bollington in Cheshire and Wessenden Head above Marsden sit closest, both reached on gentle walks. Most others near Manchester need a drive into the hills and a bit of effort on foot.
Conclusion
None of these waterfalls sits on Manchester's doorstep, and that is rather the point. The city is a launchpad for the moors and cloughs that ring it, and a short drive in almost any direction lands you at falling water.
Pick a wet week or the days just after heavy rain and every one of them runs at its best, from the quarry lip at Pingot to the long plume of Kinder Downfall. Take stout boots, watch your footing on slippery ledges and scrambles, and remember that a few sit on private ground, so tread lightly.
Whether you fancy an easy reservoir track or a proper hill walk, there is something here for every mood and every season. From Cheshire woods to Calderdale valleys, these are the waterfalls to seek out near Manchester.
